Biting the hand of Project Fear

The Prime Ministerial Parrot

The Prime Ministerial Parrot visited Aberdeenshire on Saturday to squawk a few sound bites at some business where the employees were instructed to stand in silence, then repeated them before an invited audience of Tories who clapped like trained seals. Strong and stable! Coalition of Chaos! Precious Union! Now is not the time! Theresa wants a cracker! Then the entire charade will be reported in the press as though the Prime Ministerial Parrot had made an intervention in Scotland and had bravely dared to take her squawks, sorry, message, into the SNP’s heartland. At no point in the process will she be confronted by any Scottish person who might dare to say to her, “No Theresa, ye cannae get a cracker.”

Theresa May represents the final apotheosis of the trend that was begun by Margaret Thatcher in the 80s, when the Tories’ other female leader started the transformation of the office of Prime Minister into that of an elected dictator. A dictator moreover, who was elected on a deeply unrepresentative electoral system. The trend was strengthened under Tony Blair with his sofa government, in which all power was concentrated into the hands of Tony and a small group of his associates. The most notable power struggle throughout the Blair years being that between Blair and his former ally Gordie Broon. Under what passes for a constitution in the UK there were never any real checks and balances against the concentration of power in the office of the Prime Minister, and throughout the last few decades successive PMs have taken full advantage of that fact. Parliament has been reduced to process of rubber stamping by a mass of minions. The supposedly collegiate cabinet in which the PM was once merely the first amongst equals has transformed into a yadda-yadda of yespersons. Whatever a PM with a majority wants, a PM with a majority gets.

Now Theresa May is taking the dictatorisation of British politics to its logical conclusion. The only reason this election was called in the first place was to ensure absolute power for Theresa May. Once she secures her crushing majority, there will be no checks and balances on Theresa. There will be no way to hold her to account. There will be no limit to her authority. And that’s exactly how she likes it. The British parliamentary system began as an attempt to prevent a monarch exercising absolute power, and it’s transformed into a system in which the Prime Minister exercises absolute power instead, and does so even though he or she is elected by less than half the votes cast.

It’s not even as though Theresa May is specific about what she wants to do with the power that she craves. All we get a soundbites that could just as easily be squawked by a parrot, and a complete refusal from Theresa May to put herself in any situation where she might be forced to answer questions, never mind debate and defend her policies. That’s the fate of the UK in the 21st century, to be subject to the absolute power of a dictatorial parrot. Theresa wants a cracker! Theresa wants obedience! And just like a parrot, Theresa makes sure that the newspaper is covered in crap.

Obstensibly the reason for this general election is to strengthen Theresa May’s hand in negotiations with the EU. In what way exactly does gaining an even larger majority in a domestic parliament strengthen her hand in negotiations with the EU? Does she honestly believe that the rest of the EU is going to say “Oh well, Theresa May’s got a bigger majority in Westminster now, so we’d better give her want she wants in negotiations.” Because Poland is going to surrender the rights of Polish citizens in Peterborough because Theresa May achieved a larger majority. Spain is going to give up on its claims to Gibraltar because more people in Wiltshire voted Tory. Germany is going to stop trying to attract financial service industries formerly based in London because a Conservative MP in Kent was reelected with a larger majority.

It’s such an obvious nonsense, yet her acolytes in the media and her party don’t challenge or question her, and Theresa does her utmost to ensure that no one can ask her any questions. And on those occasions when she does get asked a question, she squawks her parrot replies. Strong and stable! Brexit means Brexit! Theresa wants absolute power! OK, maybe not that last one.

Derek Bateman pointed out in a recent blog that despite their much vaunted revival, this current bunch of Scottish Tories are the weakest in history. There are no occasions on which David Mundell or Ruth Davidson have stood up to their boss and said that Scotland needs to do things differently. This is a marked contrast to the Scottish Tories of the past, who saw it as their responsibility to ensure that Scottish distinctiveness had a voice in the corridors of power. Mundell and Davidson see their job as being the voice of the corridors of power in Scotland. They don’t exist to represent Scotland in the Union, they exist to represent the Union in Scotland. Determining how that Union is constituted, shaping that Union, ensuring that Scotland’s voice is heard at the highest levels of the Union, that’s not their job. Their job is to deliver Scotland into the claws of the elected dictatorship of the Prime Ministerial Parrot.

Labour are Unionists. The Lib Dems are Unionists. For all their blind opposition to independence those parties at least seek some form of devolutionary settlement in which Scotland’s distinctiveness can be represented. The Tories don’t. The Tories stand for incorporation. They want a weakened and neutered Scottish parliament. They strive for a Scotland in which opposition is silenced and which is forced to bend its knee and submit to the will of the Prime Ministerial Parrot. When the Tories say that they will stand up for the Union, what they mean is that they will enforce the will of an increasingly dictatorial Prime Minister in Scotland. They stand for the destruction of one of the last remaining power bases in order to further the concentration of all power in the hands of the Prime Minister’s office. The reality is that when the Conservatives describe themselves as Unionists, they’re lying. They’re incorporationists. Scotland for them is just another perch from which the Prime Ministerial Parrot can squawk her soundbites. The Tories stand for the slow death of Scottish, and British, democracy.

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54 comments on “The Prime Ministerial Parrot”

I have lived through successive Westminster governments led by Prime Ministers’ from Neville Chamberlain to the present incumbent, and I firmly believe that May, and her party, are the devil incarnate.

It’s beyond my ken as to how these people can behave towards the most vulnerable in society the way they are doing. It’s more than despicable, it’s criminal, and how any person in Scotland can cast their vote in support of them is unbelievable.
They don’t have a single councillor in my council, and I will be out on the streets once again tomorrow in a bid to keep them in that position.

I agree with everything you say Alex we’ve got this unelected prime minister who thinks she can rule the world claims to be a Christian and is the vilest creature I have ever come across and her back benchers are a set of cowards as are the tories in Scotland they haven’t got the bottle to disagree with her they treat her like their lord and master

It’s completely beyond my comprehension that any Scot, whether for or against independence, would vote Tory. They are so completely filled with hatred for the SNP that they are blinkered to what would be best for Scotland.

Tory voters really need to think long and hard about what kind of country they want to live in and start asking campaigners what they intend to do for Scotland besides opposing the SNP. What a weird way to put yourself up as a GE candidate without any manifesto beyond, “We don’t want independence” !

I’m right there with you Annie, I’m really angry too. I’ve been annoyed with policies of past party’s, but this time there are no policies, no manifesto from the Ruth Davison party. All we are getting is we don’t want a referendum. Who in their right mind would vote Tory. I’m seriously thinking of getting a “Torys support the rape clause” banner and silently protest at their campaign stands. It worked in Galashiels,they packed up and moved on. Torys can’t cope with the truth. The nasty nasty truth. Yes im so very angry.

I wholeheartedly agree with the above Posts and the Rape Banner is an excellent idea, saw the Border’s Incident too, but there seems to be a Woman trend therein, have we forgotten the Tampon Tax,? What kind of person or persons think up those vile ideas.
We have a whole lot of Tory List MSP’s agreeing to this, instead of saying NO to Westminster they doff their bonnets and have the bare -faced audacity to tell our FM to deal with it thus passing the buck.
I am a 74 year old that was raised to respect others, don’t be judgemental, treat others as you would expect to be treated,and in the scheme of things it’s been ok but for the last 7 years I have watched,listened and discussed that which has been going on at Westminster and Holyrood.
I voted Labour until I saw Brown walk out of Downing Street, he threw in the Towel ,no not quite that simple as he gave up on the British People.
I joined the SNP because of our Country, Scotland it isn’t perfect but we do have a Government that is sincere and caring unlike England’s Westminster, oh they say they care, ,what they actually mean is , we care about us, high expense accounts , pay rises for themselves etc, for the everyday hard-working people , austerity and all that it entails.
My message to all here in Scotland is Vote For The SNP, let’s rid ourselves of the Tories and their fellow Unionists next week and in June and if there’s a Green Candidate Vote for them to if you can.Let the others wallow in their Low /high taxation , austerity, prescription charges, high cost of living ,,bedroom taxes , the abominations of Rape Clauses and Tampon Tax , the list of their mismanagements are shameful

Sandra, through the wonders of BBC iPlayer I flipped through Brewer’s Sunday Politics today. Polls showing Tories at 28-33% ‘lead’, or so this statistic was triumphantly heralded, scroll on, Lords Foulkes and Ming Campbell (the Yoof wing of the Yoons? ) next: scroll on; then that nasty wee rabble rouser, ‘Ulsteriisation’ Torrance getting more of my licence fee money despite my bitterest of protests, haughtily drawled that outside the political bubble which he and Hang On A Minute Brewer inhabit, the common herd is not interested in Trident or the Rape Clause.
What a patronising idiot this lad is. I managed to scroll on without splurting up my tea and digestive.

So Sandra, stop worrying yourself about the ‘wee things’ as Johann Lamont called reserved powers; why should we care about rape victims, 260,000 children in poverty, widows impoverished by state diktat, a government ban on families of more than two children, Pensioners evicted by the Bedroom Tax, 50,000 Disabled citizens having their mobility vehicle taken away from them, Retirement Age raised to 67.

I’m with the wee wummin in her kitchen sitting in front of her fridge magnets..it’s all just a wee bit to complicated. Best to leave it all in the hands of Ruth and Theresa. Young Torrance will write about anything we need to know..
What a feckin’ useless plonker this lad is.
Ideal mouthpiece for the Fourth Reich.

Meanwhile May herself was spirited into a wee hall in that NE Scottish county Englandshire, for no apparent reason other than to show off Rapefinder General Ruth Davidson’s new jaiket.
Strong and stable, stable and strong, stubble and song, stobble and strang, strangle table….
It is not hyperbole to declare that we are in the midst of an Arch Right Wing takeover of the UK.

The Tories were always the party of the rich, first the slave owners, then the landlords, noe the corporations. They’ll sell tiehr services to the highet bidder, be it a Laird, Russian ogliarch or Saudi despot.

THe EU was a great idea when the ‘colonies’ were departing rapidly and their wealthy chums needed trade and low cost foreigners, but then when the other nations refused to act like the former ampire, and worse, began to demand workers got a wage,, and holidays, then they wanted out, so the Tories obliged. That’s their job after all.

What astonishes me isn’t the lack of any decency -they sold their souls long ago- but how they manage to hoodwink the poulation into voting for them to keep beating them over the head. I know they are keeping people misinformed with the help of a right wing media, but even so, I’d expect better than this…

Thanks, Paul, but I don’t have a new account and I comment fairly regularly on your blog. My twitter account has been “compromised” on several occasions – had to change my pass-word 6 times…….. Unionists must be upset!!

I should add that if you’re a Tory and try to comment here – then you can piss off and comment on the Daily Mail or the Express. That’s not addressed to you by the way, but to someone else whose comments I’ve trashed.

Thats the torys all over jan and the English civilization is no different they tolerate things as long as they are useful once that usefulness is at an end they throw it away like trash thats how They’ve been for 1000 years they wont change now they stuck like that on another note seems the tory support is nowhereup here in scotland as may was knocking on doors in Aberdeen and no one answered her according to the bbc

“Whether one sympathises with the agitation for female suffrage or not one has to admit that its promoters showed tireless energy and considerable enterprise in devising and putting into action new methods for accomplishing their ends. As a rule they were a nuisance and a weariness to the flesh, but there were times when they verged on the picturesque.

There was the famous occasion when they enlivened and diversified the customary pageantry of the Royal progress to open Parliament by letting loose thousands of parrots, which had been carefully trained to scream ‘Votes for women,’ and which circled round his Majesty’s coach in a clamorous cloud of green, and grey and scarlet. It was really rather a striking episode from the spectacular point of view; unfortunately, however, for its devisers, the secret of their intentions had not been well kept, and their opponents let loose at the same moment a rival swarm of parrots, which screeched ‘I don’t think’ and other hostile cries, thereby robbing the demonstration of the unanimity which alone could have made it politically impressive. In the process of recapture the birds learned a quantity of additional language which unfitted them for further service in the Suffragette cause; some of the green ones were secured by ardent Home Rule propagandists and trained to disturb the serenity of Orange meetings by pessimistic reflections on Sir Edward Carson’s destination in the life to come. In fact, the bird in politics is a factor that seems to have come to stay; quite recently, at a political gathering held in a dimly-lighted place of worship, the congregation gave a respectful hearing for nearly ten minutes to a jackdaw from Wapping, under the impression that they were listening to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who was late in arriving.”

Ok Ok i heard the rumor of the state visit as well , but where is yer actual evidence , where are the Photos and the interviews ? .
This whole charade is at this minute being concocted , photo-shopped , voices being added of non existent cheering , in short a hollywood production is in the process of being made to present to the sunday papers , this is to add colour to the deception of this mythical tory revival .
The most right wing tory government in our lifetime ,who have alienated most of the population at some point , doctors , nurses , police, eu nationals the list goes on , and we are being told they are popular , oh dear the media must really think we have all swallowed a double dose of stupid pills ,they really are taking the piss now ,
Thats what really f/kn annoys me , being taken for the village idiot by these lying b/tds .

What sticks in my craw is the sheer fabrication of Theresa May’s queen persona as witnessed in her hypercritical Easter Address, the ’40’s soft focus, dewy eyed, auto cue, edited, fake, false. Contrast with her election announcement – jerky, windswept, constant referral to her prepared statement, long winded. Saving the union. Her rush to ultimate power is similar to Hitler’s rise.
Thoughts of more prerecorded Non Reality makes me nautious.

It’s like your worst nightmare personified…May and co will sink to any level to neuter the parliament, and our aspirations of a free and democratic country…even john major and cameron seem almost decent compared to this set up…ruth Harrison using inflammatory language at every turn, divisive, fratricidal, corrosive all her words to describe my beliefs and passion for an indy Scotland…we can exit this madness, that is our saving grace if we can take enough of our citizen with us….I’ve heard too many oldies recently, who can’t see beyond their pensions and bus passes..not interested in deviating from unionist thinking…the youth are our hope, and give me courage to believe in a brighter future…

Some oldies are blind to the truth my nan who lives in Dunfermline is in her 80s and she Don’t want scotland free the snp are the ultimate evil in her eyes any evidence of how bad the union is she turns nasty so ive given up trying to convince her of the truth as it always starts a row

Same here, Jan.
We must explode this myth that the Silver vote was broadly No and Brexit.
The SG should publish the numbers of pensioners who have been threatened with eviction because they are now victims of Ruth Davidson’s Bedroom Tax, a cut in the Housing Benefit element of their Pensions Credit by 27% introduced this month.
The SG is mitigating the effect of the cuts, therefore it’s not worthy of comment by the Dead Tree Scrolls, or BBC/STV communications wing of Better Together. Only Good Yoon news allowed.
I am 69, and as mad as hell.
Nobody is wrapping Scotland in an Iron Curtain as long as I have puff left in my body.
Madness stalks the land.
We are at war in all but name now.

Great Repeal Bill – British Bill of Rights and the enactment of the Henry VIII clause.

Power to legislate at ministerial level without parliamentary oversight or scrutiny. Think about that people. Think about what it means for democracy. Think about what it means for your human and civil rights. Think about a couple of decades of Conservative dominance of Westminster politics and then tell me how this creates a fairer more just, more inclusive, more unified and caring society.

In no reality I can imagine, would this government form a a stable and strong leadership. What follows a Conservative landslide in Conservative controlled austerity/brexit Britain we want no part of.

Be warned.

You heard it here first.

I’m wondering at this point if people know what government does for a living? More specifically what responsible government does for a living?

It’s important for the reader to understand what actually underpins the ideologies of both Conservative government and SNP government I reckon.

Your Conservative government and the Westminster parliamentary system believe in top down power. Parliamentary sovereignty and power derived from the crown. In short, the people, the population owe the state their taxes, their loyalty, their lives. The population exists to serve the state and support the power and privilege of the few.

Traditionally and as far as generations of Scots have been concerned for some three hundred years and change, that’s how things are. In England needless to say that’s gone on for a bit longer. The many serve the few and the few, when they can be arsed, deign to look after the interests of the many so long as it suits their needs.

In times of good management, expansion and plenty (see under empire), the many benefit from the largesse of a contented few. They can afford it after all at this point. In times of bad management, contraction and want, (see under NOW), the dead wood (that would be you mainly) are cut loose and the power and wealth are centralised to protect the lifestyles and power structures to which the few have become accustomed. Heaven forfend that the poor dears suffer in any way shape or form.

The state and the order is ALL. The people serve the state. If the state hits hard times, the people need to tighten THEIR belts in order that the state and established order does not. No duty of care. No public service. No ‘unity’ or common weal. Simply ‘dae as yer telt’ because… badgers and it’s for your own good.

Mmmkay?

Now yer SNP Scottish government have a somewhat different outlook. They believe that the power rests with the people. That parliament derives its direction, its power and mandate from the wants, needs and aspirations of the population. That the government of the day reflects the mandate of its population.

Mad, ah know!

Basically everything which defines Westminster UK government? Reverse that and you have the belief system of the current Scottish government. Not all of the Holyrood parliament holds this belief of course, but that’s a work in progress.

Essentially though, government is very, very simple. I happen to believe that the state and the party politician owe the people service, loyalty, a duty of care and the ability to live with dignity. The basics for all our requirements at point of need.

Politics, government is and should be simple. It’s about meeting our needs. Putting food on our table. Keeping us safe and well. Protecting our inalienable human rights and interests.

In exchange we pay taxes to meet those needs and pay our public servants accordingly to administer and manage those needs.

THAT IS ‘the day job’.

So which parliament has the right idea? It’s up to readers of course, but I know which government model I prefer.

Same here never was truer words spoken thats why im voting snp every vote because they the only government ive seen actually bother to even try and now the greens have made roads up here because the snp beat the rigged election system and got 3 terms in office which 10 years ago some scots thought to give them a chance and now the uk mess is bigger because the snp exposed what previous unionist governments tryed to hide like the pfi for one such example the rape clause torys tryed to slip that unnoticed same with the bribes of more funds to hide more bigger cuts to scotlands budget Angus Robinson exposed that one if i remember right the cuts to esa the nhs funds education yes torys did that even in England as the English pay up to 600 quid because schools dont have the funds good thing the snp bypass the coucils and handed funds straight to the headteachers up here so it might not be sunshine up here but the snp have done a lot of good with so little thats why i vote for them

Why does the thacther wannabe even bother her Aberdeen vist was the same as her leeds one and she never met local people on either vist just soundbites in a farce of a photo op its pathetic if this is what passes as democracy in the uk

Robert, I recall many years ago, when I was working in Dumbarton, I was commuting by train from Clydebank to Dumbarton Central.
Then it was your archetypal dusty old British Rail Station, with waiting rooms with coal fires, and a Ticket Office. They even had a Station Manager and a Porter!
The external walls were dusty and sooty from years of neglect and pre Clean Air Act smog.
One afternoon, while I was waiting for my train back home, I noticed that a section of the external wall on the opposite platform had been freshly painted. Not the whole wall, just a section in the middle, about four yards long and from platform to the roof in height. It looked like a heavenly beam from a Cecile B Demille biblical epic was shining on just this hallowed spot.
The next day, I enquired why this particular bit of wall had been given a facelift.
It transpired that Young Prince Charles was to arrive in the Royal Train, to visit a Community Centre in Brucehill, and the face lift marked the spot where his Royal Fluffiness would alight from the train.
A limousine would be waiting on the platform to whisk him away via an underground tunnel
( from memory, Post Office vans used this subterranean entrance to collect and deliver mail sacks) and that the half of the tunnel which he would be able to see had also been spruced up.
This would be sometime around the mid seventies.
Fast forward forty years and we still have a significant number of citizens who are forelock tugging cap doffing Uriah Heaps, who adore anything Royal and genuinely believe that Lords and Ladies are their ‘betters’.
Nothing will alter such Manchurian Candidate subservience.
Mercifully Born To Serve serfs are on the decline.
May is being ushered through the next six weeks, surrounded by her devoted followers. There is no way that the Hoi Polloi will be allowed near her.
She is an autocrat, and WM is merely a token assembly of Red Blue and Yellow Tories who will all do what Royalty, Nobility and the Wealthy tell them to do.
We at least have an escape pod.

In every area that votes Tory in the upcoming Council Election, and in every riding that elects a Tory in the General Election, implement Tory policies. The SG should withdraw any financial mitigation of Tory austerity policies to the populations that live in these ridings/council areas. If they vote Tory, they clearly support these policies. In a democracy the people should get what they want. So, implement tuition fees at universities located in these areas, institute bedroom taxes, prescription fees, let ATOS and Co. loose on the local population to wreck the harm they do, etc.

Exposed to the true of the vileness of these Tory creatures, maybe the locals will finally wake up and smell the coffee.

While I sympathize with the sentiment, I believe the patient needs a more aggressive strategy for their therapy.

A decade of insulating these folks from the truth is only affording them the opportunity to harden their resolve to oppose independence. Without suffering any consequences from their choice. In effect, the Scottish government is facilitating thier delusional belief system.

The current myth being propagated is of a Tory resurgence in Scotland. For the misguided fools who are intending to vote for the Tories, this will become a self fulfilling fantasy if any loss of momentum towards independence occurs over the council and general elections. A massive majority for the SNP will simply be ignored.

I believe Hell is the only means available of mending these folks. I think we should let them have a dose of Tory Hell. It might distract them from contentedly eating their cereal.

The torys all the can mouth off is we oppose a 2nd refurendum right yet they just run off at the mouth saying theyd hold the snp to account right hows that going to go in the long run when that retoric got them above labour in the 1st place explain to me how the cons are gona ganther more support in the long run when all they bang on about is indy like the wee ginger dug mentioned in yesterdays national any increase in support for torys will hurt them long term and hes right especially if opposing indy is all they can karp about from the sidelines

I see they had Theresa May up in Aberdeenshire chapping doors but oh dear no one was home.Awfully convenient that.Personally if that dreadful women or her sour faced minion Ms Davidson came to my door I would open it only long enough to tell them I would not vote for their party even if hell did freeze over.Libdem candidate in my area Jo Swinson would get the same treatment.Well come to think of it she never came near here when she was my Mp so not expecting much this time. I am sure Tories and Libdems only visit upper class parts of this area. At least John Nicholson who became SNP mp here bothered to come up and see us ordinary folks

Driving back to Scotland today and listening to Any Answers on the radio. On comes a gent from somewhere in Scotland with a non Scottish accent. The discussion was on Nationalism and he declared that Indy ref 1 was a nightmare of agressiive, antagonistic behaviour by the Indy supporters. Another gent from England declared he was very concerned about the aggressive attitudes of the SNP.

It was concerning that there appeared to be a development of the idea that Scotland was totally Anti – English and very aggressive in its attitudes towards the English people. Not one voice was heard on the programme to challenge these views. The propaganda war continues apace.

Quick reply. Yep, the anti Scottish propaganda was alive and well prior to 2014, but is now being stepped up. The likes of Ruth Davidson, Scot tory and T.May, etc, have both used language to attempt to stoke up hatred, even using words like terrorism and separatism together, (their own party political terms used to describe the SNP). It is an attempt to equate those in support of Scottish independence and/or the SNP, with extremism. Nothing could be further from the truth. They really, really need to curb such dangerous, othering, demonising type of language!

It has no place in Scotland, and must be rejected by those in positions of power, lest they are willing to take responsibility for any further Britnat attacks on Scotland, ie, potentially life threatening packages sent to SNP offices.

I think Paul hits the nail on the head, when he says that the tories in Scotland, ‘exist to represent the union in Scotland’, not the other way around.

May’s imposition in Scotland today? A display of tory contempt for Scotland, the Scottish government and parliament as it is right now, and a fck you to the majority of the people of Scotland.

Those who watch tv all day, or evening, or both, are completely brain washed. I can hear the bbc voices brain washing my retired neighbour next door! I have to put my headphones on to blank the incessant, lying voices out. But, one tory neighbour has never had a tv, it is the tory rags that fill the gaps there.

I hope it’s not too late, but I do wonder if the younger generation are more immune to state controlled media propaganda. That’s exactly why they should have a vote at 16/17 years old. It’s a pity, the English general election will be decided by those who in fact most likely have the least to lose, but who should feel a huge responsibility towards those who will inhabit the future.

The future belongs to our young people, and it has to be based on doing the least damage, and the most good, for the most people. Otherwise, those expecting a rosy tory future are going to be very disappointed indeed.

Like the English would see that they are nothing but idoits who are all mouth no trousers when opposing Westminster comes around every so often i know even though i was born in Irvine i was raised in England thanks to that bicth thacther and from 2010 to 2015 the English was crowing all over especially on Facebook they was going to kick the torys out 1st chance they got that chance appeared in 2015 they blew it as over 70% of English stay home instead of voting ed millaband that Yorkshire idoit threw it and because of that the English gave up hence the current tory majority in Westminster

Some things never change. Neo fascism, alt right, empire 2.0, ‘stable and strong leadership’. Give it whatever name you wish really. It’s My tribe right or wrong. Exclusion, intolerance, exceptionalism based on whatever criteria the exponents dream up for their tribe. It’s mindless hatred pure and simple. It is also a home for the fearful, the ill informed, the gullible, the directionless, those filled with rage and pain who need a target to take it all out on. The very things the opposition accuse the YES movement of in point of fact, but then they are past masters of projection and deflection.

It is also a political tool for those who are beyond flags and empathy. Y’know, the truly evil bastirts.

The truly evil know exactly how to use these lost people. They know how to direct them in order to divide and rule. ‘Course it helps if you have access to compliant and politically compromised mass media control. With the right tools and the right message you can even bring on board normally reasonable, moderate caring human beings. People who won’t realise what they have become, what their society is becoming until it is far too late. Until their actions face them in their own livingrooms, or their own mirrors.

For those looking to tell the difference between Westminster/Unionist media narrative and the Scottish government/YES movement, ask yourself a few pertinent questions.

How many countries have the Scottish government invaded?
How many economies have the Scottish government crashed?
How many policies abusive of the poor, the infirm, the furren and the powerless have the Scottish government passed into legislation?
How many refugees have the Scottish Government turned away?
How many overseas nationals have the Scottish government placed under threat of deportation?
How many riots have the YES movement started?
How many unprovoked violent acts or acts of naked intimidation?

You could probably add quite a few more questions to that list, but you get the drift.

When words aren’t quite enough to convince. When the meeja has your head so turned with spin you don’t know who or what to believe. Pay attention to the world around you, to action and reaction.

When you’ve truthfully answered even that small list of questions I’ve posted, you should be able to tell who the real bad guys are and where the very real threat to your freedoms and rights comes from.

Probably also worth noting in light of the events of the past two years particularly. LANGUAGE!

Look very carefully at the language used by both governments, the media and the campaigns. Pay attention to how they speak, communicate with the world at large and communicate their message to you.

Unfortunately, I work with a crew of very nice people, some of whom have never voted. One is a single mother on benefits who votes Tory. One young one has a mother who thinks the same way as me. She is learning to think for herself.

Several of the non voters have said that they don’t know who to vote for as they listen to different politicians and can find something to agree with in all of them. A common comment is “I don’t understand politics”. I say to them, what do you want from the government? What kind of country do you want to live in? How do you want the people of the country to be treated?
Even after that, they still say they are confused! My hairdresser said she had been going to vote Yes in Indyref 1, then she heard another argument for no on polling day 2014 and ended up voting No!

How can you convince those people that an Independent Scotland is in their best interests?

I tell them about the local meetings I go to and invite them along, but they say “I’m not one of those people who go to meetings!!”

I tell them about the Wee Ginger Dug and Derek Bateman and the other bloggers, to no avail. They seem to be content in their ignorance.

Most folk don’t want to be involved in politics. They don’t want to confront the big issues that affect their lives, consider the complexities of economics, constitutions, human rights, geo politics etc. They just want peace to get on with their lives. They just want ‘stuff’ to work and happen. Their lives, in fact all our lives, are complex and difficult enough. Getting from entrance to exit in anything like a decent trajectory is already fraught with enough hardship for most without politics and politicians adding another degree of difficulty.

You can get behind that mindset right enough, but for one thing.

‘For evil men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do nothing.’

What will shake folk from such a mindset? When politically engendered hardship or tragedy happens in their own livingroom. Sometimes that’s just what it takes.

You can shout warnings from the highest rooftop. You can leaflet, letter, doorstep, hold marches and rallies showing folk a better path, a better hope and a ready opportunity to avoid what we perceive to be democratic and economic catastrophe. Sometimes though, it takes facing those hardships and catastrophes on a personal level before people will act.

‘To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards out of men.(sic)’
Ella Wheeler Wilcox, The poet who gave us, ‘Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.’
This is not a laughing matter.
Sam, I have no doubt that when the Brexit hits the fan, many folk will be shaken from their torpor,
be it from experiencing something as ostensibly innocuous as buying euros for the summer hols and realising how much the pound has plummeted in value, to the rising food prices at the supermarket.
There are of course some who see this as a rerun of the Battle of Britain; this sceptre’d Isle against Johhny Foreigner.
No more Duty Free trips through the Chunnel for the soft southerners.
There are some who could be up to their necks in fire and brimstone who would blame Europe, or the Jocks, or foreigners claiming the Social, for their predicament.

Very well put indeed, Mcart. I only pray that this time May has just gone too far, and that her “Ein Volk! Ein Reich! Ein Brexit!” is just so blatant that only the most mindless minion would not see it for the naked power -grab it is.

A canny observation as always. Most people just want to enjoy their short interlude on this remarkable piece of space rock we call planet earth. Religious or not, it is a miracle in every sense of the word that we are here at all and surely to goodness the primary aim of mankind is to relish and enjoy the experience and leave the bloody place in the same state if not better than we inherited it. After the horrors of WWII it all seemed to being to plan until Cliff Richard came along and the superpowers started polishing their ICBMs. You’re spot on – geo-politics and other crap intrude and spoils the experience; we’ve stood back and watched whilst the “evil men” accomplish their nefarious schemes and line their pockets; we’ve watched the injustices of Vietnam. Palestine and the whole of Africa – and stood by. We assuage our conscience by supporting celebrity pop stars in charity concerts then vote the same corrupt politicians into office who create the problems in the first place. As Paul Simon wrote, “we see what we want to see and disregard the rest”.

Psychologists call it cognitive dissonance – we shut out the reality because it’s too difficult or unpleasant to comprehend or because if we do – it will shatter the illusion that we presently inhabit. We are almost 16 years since the events that triggered the global crisis – 9/11. From all the scientific evidence that has been fully considered and examined, we now know that the Twin Towers and WTC 7 collapsed within 2 seconds of freefall speed, which is impossible unless the three buildings had been prewired for demolition. If only Issac Newton had been alive around and near a NBC microphone that morning….We know this; it’s perfectly obvious. We know that Blair lied and the Square Mile is the real seat of power in the country and our entire existence is dependent on nothing more than a squalid Ponzi scheme with a handful of family dynasties at the very top to whom the rest of us are mere pawns.

There was an interview with a wee Glasgow woman a few days after Keith O’Brien confessed and whas wheeched off to Rome. The interviewer asked what she thought about it all and she said “Ah dinnae believe it, not a word” When it was pointed out that O’Brien had actually admitted the allegations, she replied “Ah still don’t care, ah don’t believe it and niver will”. Watching the shenanigans in Scotland this week from afar – interviews with the half dozen Labour supporters that’s left, the repugnant Ms Davidson and the reptilian Mrs May, one can observe that the affliction has become endemic.

Don’t know what it would take for people to act, but I really do hope it would hurry up and come along sometime soon. Don’t know about you, but I’d like to start feeling happy and optimistic again.

“And just like a parrot, Theresa makes sure that the newspaper is covered in crap.”
That one had me LOL 🙂
Rest assured, from tomorrow May will last exactly 31 days … after that if she’s still on her perch she’ll have had to have been nailed there.